View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Billy O'Mann griping about when talking about empty lots near the fire station?

2. Where did the firemen's training occur?

3. How many shots did the police officer fire at the fleeing youth in front of the fire station in Chapter 6?

4. How many men competed for firemen positions that day?

5. How old was Tina when Smith first met her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the firefighters react to the call in Chapter 7 in which they tended to a man who almost overdosed on drugs?

2. Why were some of the firefighters unwilling to help out at the department's occasional parties for neighborhood kids?

3. What was Smith's attitude toward the man hanging around at the Union Avenue fire in Chapter 10? How did he feel about the man screaming that the firemen were not taking fire victims to the hospital because they didn't care about black people?

4. Does Smith feel that society has become more violent over the years, and if so, why?

5. How did Smith convince himself of the need to respond to all calls when he found himself getting fed up with the arson incidents?

6. Describe the character of Lieutenant Collins.

7. What did Smith find most frustrating about the attack on the firefighters (the dropped garbage can) in Chapter 8?

8. In what key way does Smith say the modern firefighting exams are different from those of the past?

9. Why did Smith view being a firemen as a sign of success when he was a child?

10. Did Smith's wife appreciate her husband's devotion to his job?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fire departments in the United States are traditionally overwhelmingly white--Smith himself came from an Irish background and many of his fellow firemen are Irish or Italian. How did that situation arise? Does the tradition of family members following one another into the field explain it? In what ways have fire departments attempted to diversify in recent years, and have those efforts been successful? Are there specific ways you can think of that would help diversify fire departments?

Essay Topic 2

Why was Smith so affected by the interview with the student, Cynthia? Why did his encounter with her leave him feeling both heartened and concerned? Did he ultimately feel uplifted or overwhelmed by what she represented?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 2, a young boy was injured when a driver known for hot-rodding sped through the neighborhood; the driver was beaten by the gathered crowd before being rescued by police. Smith pointed out that while the boy never cried, the driver was weeping in the police car because he was worried he wouldn't be protected. How did the firefighters react to the man's attitude? In what way is physical pain sometimes easier to handle than mental pain? Does knowing you have been guilty of a crime cause pain? Did the man's crying indicate that he felt remorse for what he had done or was it simply cowardice? Is it ever easy to face up to despicable acts?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,146 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample